The PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC consortium of natural gas companies received federal approval Friday to build the roughly 116-mile, 36-inch-diameter line from Pennsylvania into New Jersey.

PennEast had planned to begin construction in 2018, pending a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

FERC awarded the certificate Friday in a 4-1 vote, capping a contentious review that started with the announcement of the proposal in August 2014.

Saying he disputes the need for the pipeline and that the benefits outweigh its harms, commission member Richard Glick dissented from his colleagues, Chairman Kevin J. McIntyre, Cheryl A. LaFleur, Neil Chatterjee and Robert F. Powelson in the decision.

The pipeline is designed to provide up to 1.1 million dekatherms per day of natural gas from Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region for domestic energy use. Its route takes it from Luzerne County through Carbon, Northampton and Bucks counties, then across the Delaware River into Hunterdon County to Mercer County.

This PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC shows the route of its proposed 116-mile, 36-inch-diameter natural gas line from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, to Mercer County, New Jersey, as of September 2016, the most recent map available on the energy company consortium's website. Visit penneastpipeline.com for a more detailed version. (Courtesy image | For NJ Advance Media)

"We find that PennEast has sufficiently demonstrated that there is market demand for the project," the order issuing the certificate states. "PennEast has entered into long-term, firm precedent agreements with 12 shippers for 990,000 Dth/d of firm transportation service, approximately 90 percent of the project's capacity. ...

"Those shippers will provide gas to a variety of end users, including local distribution customers, electric generators, producers and marketers and those shippers have determined, based on their assessment of the long-term needs of their particular customers and markets, that there is a market for the natural gas to be transported and the PennEast Project is the preferred means for delivering or receiving that gas."

Construction is expected to take about seven months, PennEast spokeswoman Patricia Kornick said last month.

BREAKING! FERC approves the PennEast Pipeline, which is set to deliver lower electric and gas bills, cleaner air, and thousands of jobs. pic.twitter.com/GAyKKnRBz0

Jeff Tittel, the club's director, maintains PennEast's environmental impact statement "has missing and even false information" and that its New Jersey-issued and federal permits for the project are incomplete.

"FERC is basically working for the pipeline companies rather than for the people they are supposed to represent," Tittel said in a statement. "It's shameful that FERC can approve a pipeline without even applications for state or federal permits. FERC is the 'Federal Expedited Rubberstamp Commission.'

"Now the fight begins," he continued. "We will organize to stop this pipeline that people vigorously approve. PennEast has a long way to go and many permits to get. We also have a new Governor who opposes the project. We won't stop until we stop this dangerous and unneeded pipeline."

FERC's certificate sets numerous requirements for PennEast to satisfy prior to construction. They can be found toward the end of the document on file under Decisions & Notices at ferc.gov.

"Regarding the project's impacts on landowners and communities, the project would impact approximately 1,588 acres of land during construction, and approximately 788.3 acres of land during operation," Friday's order states. "Approximately 44.5 miles, or 37 percent of the 120.2 mile-long pipeline route, will be located alongside existing rights-of-way.

"While we are mindful that PennEast has been unable to reach easement agreements with a number of landowners, for purposes of our consideration under the Certificate Policy Statement, we find that PennEast has generally taken sufficient steps to minimize adverse impacts on landowners and surrounding communities."

New Jersey Resources is pursuing a separate natural gas pipeline running through Northampton County, as well. Its subsidiary Adelphia Gateway applied Monday to FERC for a certificate of public convenience and necessity.

That line would convert the remaining length of an 84-mile oil pipeline to natural gas between Martins Creek in Lower Mount Bethel Township to Marcus Hook, Delaware County, outside Philadelphia, and would carry 250,000 dekatherms of Marcellus Shale natural gas per day for domestic energy use.